PBEEE Merit Scholarship for International Students | Study in Canada
The PBEEE Merit Scholarship (Programme de bourses d’excellence pour étudiants étrangers) is one of Québec’s most substantial funding programmes for international students, managed by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), covering Master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral, and short-term research levels with awards reaching $87,000. The 2026-2027 competition cycle has fully concluded — the application deadline was 2 December 2025, with results announced in April 2026, both already past.
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PBEEE Merit Scholarship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | PBEEE Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students |
| Host Country ⇒ | Canada (Québec) |
| Category ⇒ | Postgraduate | Masters | PhD |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All countries, with special components for Brazil, China, India, Israel, and Wallonia |
| Reward ⇒ | $20,000–$87,000 depending on level, plus tuition exemption and RAMQ health insurance |
| Application Status ⇒ | 2026-2027 cycle closed and results announced. FRQ hasn’t yet published the next cycle — check your target university’s own preselection timeline directly. |
What the Programme Aims to Do
FRQ built this programme to internationalise research at Québec’s higher education institutions, attract strong foreign students and researchers to strengthen the province’s scientific reputation, and encourage genuine academic and cultural exchange between Québec and the rest of the world.
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Types of Scholarships
- Master’s Research Scholarship (VM) — $20,000/year, up to $40,000 total
- Doctoral Research Scholarship (V1, 1B, 1C, 1I, 1IS, 1W) — $25,000/year, up to $87,000 total
- Postdoctoral Scholarship (V2, 2B, 2C, 2I) — $35,000 for one year
- Short-term Research or Professional Development Scholarship (V3, 3B, 3C, 3I, 3IS, 3W) — $3,000/month, up to four months, capped at $12,000
Eligibility Requirements
- Be a foreign student — not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Not have already applied for Canadian permanent residency
- Be preselected by a Québec university or the CCTT network before applying — applicants from China must specifically be preselected by the China Scholarship Council (CSC)
- Master’s applicants: be enrolled in, or applying to, a thesis-based programme — professional Master’s degrees don’t qualify
- Doctoral applicants: be within your first nine semesters of study
- Postdoctoral applicants: have completed your PhD within the last two years
- Short-term research applicants: be a graduate student or researcher who completed a PhD within the last five years
- Not have previously received a PBEEE scholarship
Exception requests are genuinely possible for study delays caused by illness, parental leave, disability, or similar documented circumstances — this requires supporting documentation, submitted with your application and pre-approved by FRQ.
What the PBEEE Merit Scholarship Covers
- Financial support ranging from $20,000 to $87,000, depending on level and duration
- Full exemption from international tuition fees
- Health insurance coverage through Québec’s public health plan (RAMQ)
- Access to research at one of Canada’s leading research hubs
- Genuine networking opportunities with established academics and researchers
Required Documents
- A copy of your valid passport identification page
- Official academic transcripts for all university studies
- Proof of enrollment, for current students
- A research proposal or project outline, depending on your level
- A letter of acceptance from your Québec supervisor, for postdoctoral and short-term research applicants
- Attestation documents, if your studies were interrupted for health, family, or similar reasons
- A publications list, where applicable
- Certified basic translations for any documents not in English or French
How the Two-Stage Application Process Works
This is the part most listings simplify incorrectly. You don’t apply to FRQ directly first — the process runs in two genuinely separate stages:
- Secure preselection through your Québec university or the CCTT network. Contact your target institution directly and confirm you’re on their official list of nominated candidates. This step has its own earlier internal deadline, historically around late October — well before FRQ’s own final deadline. McGill’s own PBEEE page and Université Laval’s Bureau des bourses et de l’aide financière both confirm this internal step runs on the university’s own separate timeline.
- Complete your formal FRQ application, only once preselected. Create an account on the FRQnet portal, complete the application form, and attach every required document before FRQ’s own deadline.
Choose your application form carefully — FRQ states explicitly that it will not transfer an application between programmes if you select the wrong one, and an incorrect submission is simply deemed ineligible. Submissions made even slightly after the stated deadline time are automatically inadmissible, with no exceptions for lateness itself.
How to Prepare for the Next Cycle
- Contact your target Québec university’s graduate studies office directly now, since preselection deadlines are typically set weeks or months before FRQ’s own final deadline, and vary by institution
- If you’re applying through the China-specific stream, confirm the China Scholarship Council’s own preselection process and timeline separately
- Gather your transcripts, research proposal, and any required supervisor acceptance letter well in advance
- Confirm you’re selecting the correct application form for your specific level and eligible component before FRQ opens its next application window
- Watch FRQ’s own official page directly for the confirmed next cycle deadline, since specific dates shift year to year
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the PBEEE Merit Scholarship currently accepting applications?
No. The 2026-2027 cycle’s application deadline (2 December 2025) and results announcement (April 2026) have both already passed. FRQ has not yet published the next cycle’s dates.
Do I apply to FRQ directly, or through my university first?
Through your university first. You must be preselected by a Québec university or the CCTT network before you can submit a formal application to FRQ — this is a genuine two-stage process, not a single application.
What happens if I submit my application after the deadline?
It’s automatically deemed inadmissible by FRQ, with no exceptions for lateness, regardless of how strong the application is.
What happens if I select the wrong application form?
Your application is deemed ineligible. FRQ explicitly states it will not transfer an application between different programmes if an error occurs, so choosing correctly matters as much as the content itself.
Can I apply if my studies were interrupted for personal reasons?
Yes, in some cases. FRQ allows exception requests for study delays caused by illness, parental leave, disability, or similar documented circumstances, provided you submit supporting documentation with your application for pre-approval.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, including the two-stage application structure and current cycle status, were verified directly against the Fonds de recherche du Québec’s official page as of August 2026. The 2026-2027 cycle has concluded — always confirm current dates and your specific university’s preselection timeline directly at frq.gouv.qc.ca before preparing an application.
Official Application Portal
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